What Is Not Said
by SpeakingThroughWrittenWords
Summary: No one is allowed to say his name. Not because it hurts. Because it is so much more then that. They were so much more then that. And Kuwabara just can't stand for it. All of those little misunderstandings have made it so much worse.


**What Is Not Said**

"Say. That. Again."

Kuwabara was asking for it. Yusuke would have told him that much if the idiot had decided to talk to him first. Maybe then he would have been the one to hit him. It would have knocked Kuwabara to the ground, to be sure, but it probably would not have hurt as much as what it sounded like when Kurama's knuckles cracked against his jaw.

"I said we should have seen it coming!" Kuwabara's voice cracked. But as he was no longer as young as he used to be, maybe it was just his jaw trying to re a line itself and not his voice. If Yusuke had not thought Kuwabara deserved that hit, he might have felt sorry for him. But he did not want to hear what Kuwabara wanted to say. He did not want it to be true.

Neither did Kurama and he was going to be vocal about it.

Kuwabara allowed himself to slightly massage his jaw. He did not wince, as he had worse injuries then that. Plus, it he was going to complain, it would give him no right to mention –

No. Yusuke was never going to think of that name again. Maybe if he did not dwell on it, what happened would not be true.

"And why, pray tell, would that be the case?" Kurama's voice was dangerous. Yusuke knew it and he knew Kuwabara was just as familiar, if not more, with that tone. Yusuke considered for a moment standing up and trying to calm the other's down, but he did not feel like it. If Kuwabara was going to be an idiot, then he could let Kurama lay a smack down on him. The Spirit Detective felt as though Kurama needed to blow off a little steam.

"Because it was Hiei, that's –"

Kurama had failed to silence him in time. Yusuke tried to close off his ears to all sound, but it was too late.

Hiei.

Dammit.

The next sound was not the sound of flesh against flesh however. It was simply the creaking of the wood at the foot of the bed, which Kurama had gripped to try and keep his risen temper under control. In this mood, Yusuke knew him as the demon who had no mercy. But it was Kuwabara and Kurama had to rethink his actions in this mood which would usually lead up to the instigator being killed.

"Because of...?" Kurama's voice trailed off. It started off with his previous intensity, but Yusuke interrupted them with a cough and suddenly Kurama's voice went flat. Yusuke decided not to apologize for that, they needed to figure something out. Everything would be fine. That's what he wanted to believe.

"Come on. I know you all think I'm stupid, but I got the memo a while back." Kuwabara was trying to keep anger out of his own voice. As if he thought _he'd_ been wronged. Well, he was welcome to join the party. Yusuke knew it better then the rest of them. He was the last one to see – well, Yusuke felt as though he had a right to be pissed off.

But maybe not as much as Kurama. It was always hard to tell where the lines stood with Kurama.

"We don't think you're stupid Kuwabara." What had Kuwabara said that managed to calm Kurama down so much? Yusuke thought about it and was coming up a blank. Maybe it had just been enough time for Kurama to get himself under control.

"I don't need to hear it," Kuwabara shrugged, not seeming to care about the subject. "I'm just sayin', when I noticed it, it was obvious."

"Was it really?" Kurama mentioned weakly, softly. Yusuke tried to turn away from them. It was not obvious! Hiei was nothing like that! Hiei was –

Dammit. Was it really that obvious?

It was going to take more effort then Yusuke wanted to show to turn, so he just sighed. The remainder of his team looked over at him with the same expression. It made Yusuke sick.

"S... s... stop... tha..."

When had his voice become so soft? Yusuke had an impulse to roll his eyes at how weak he sounded, but with the other two looking straight at him he felt self-conscious for once. Well, for once and not in a good way.

"Don't try and move Yusuke," Kurama took a few steps towards him. Whatever Kurama was trying to do Yusuke shut it out with his eyes.

"Just rest Urameshi. We'll handle this."

"Will we?" Kurama's voice became level again and Yusuke opened his eyes again to see the attention off of him. He thought about suggesting that they all take a break, but if they were just going to be wussies about him saying stuff he wasn't going to bother.

"Yeah." Kuwabara did not seem to realize he was heading back into dangerous territory again. The thought made Yusuke laugh. The laughter made him feel lightheaded. And the lightheaded feeling made the voices of his friends mesh together.

But then it was quiet for a while and his head began to feel normal again.

Really, what was wrong with him? They started to talk again, but although Yusuke could hear their words perfectly, he couldn't comprehend the meaning yet. But it was slowly coming back.

"Do... y'know what happened?"

"... Yusuke never saw him coming. He must have run him through about seven times before leaving."

"Heh, that explains it."

"Explains?"

"That little shrimp knew that wouldn't be enough times to kill him. Urameshi's like a cockroach. If he only stabbed him seven times, he wasn't really trying."

"Then why do we only have him hanging on by a thread?"

"Uh... sorry."

Silence. Who was hanging on by a thread?

"Maybe something else came along. Those wounds can't be what's giving him this fever and keeping you from being able to heal him."

"I would have to agree. If only I could find a trace of what could be killing him."

Who was dying? Yusuke hated being left out like this. They must have been trying to piss him off by mentioning off hand that someone was dying. He wanted to shout at them to tell him what the hell they were talking about, but decided with a lot of thought that he might learn more if they did not think he was listening. Yeah, that was it.

"No poison then?"

"I have looked for traces of that, but there is nothing." Kurama paused for a moment, seeming to gather the courage to say his next words. "Then again, Hi..."

Kurama trailed off. His courage was not enough.

"He does not use poison."

"As I said, it must've been one of those other guys. Remember that really thin dude with the green hair?"

"Yes, I do not doubt those vials contained poison. I suppose if I could gain a sample of each, I can find out what is wrong with Yusuke."

"Wh... what?"

There was something wrong with him? No there wasn't! Yusuke forced himself to sit up, no matter that he felt like lying there and letting them continue to say whatever. No, he was not going to let this pass, he was sick and tired of being passed over! Why were they not talking to him before?

"Yusuke, no!" Kurama rushed over, Kuwabara right behind him as the red head kept Yusuke from moving any further to his feet. Yusuke leaned back against the wall and glared at them. Or, he tried to. It was difficult when it seemed like there was more then one Kurama.

"I'm... fi... ine!" Yusuke retorted as angrily as he could. Although from the sound of his voice, they were not subjected to even half as much anger as he thought he was trying to put out. His head started spinning again, so much so Yusuke did not even know when he had started coughing.

He did not remember when he stopped coughing either. It must have happened some time, for when he regained consciousness he was no longer doing it.

He could hear crying. Crying and a soothing voice.

"No! I w-won't leave him! N-n-never! I'll st-stay with him 'till h-h-he w-wakes up!"

"Please, you need to rest Keiko."

"No!"

"Believe me when I say I owe him my life. I will do anything to ensure his will never leave us."

"Oh... Y-Yusuke..."

The crying faded away.

It was really quiet again. Yusuke hated the quiet. It reminded him of the moment when Toguro hit Kuwabara and the rush of nothing which suddenly entered Yusuke's mind while he was certain his world had just been torn in two.

"Urameshi."

When had Kuwabara entered? Yusuke really wished he could open his eyes to see, but it seemed pointless now that Kuwabara was there. No, what he really wanted was to be able to say something back.

"You've got everyone riled up now, because of you. Hell, you're probably just doing this for the attention, right? Once everyone's eyes are on you you'll be better and fix everything."

Dammit. That was not what he was trying to do. He was just trying to respond. He was just trying to say something.

"Chu's here, y'know? Kurama's telling him what happened. And Jin. We're keeping them downstairs so you can get rest. You know how they are."

Maybe it was because his throat seemed dry. Or the fact he could not think of anything to say anymore.

"You know what though? I'm not gonna wait for you to have all this attention. _I'm_ gonna fix this. Once we find where they're hiding I will rescue everyone and get those vials – so Kurama can figure out what's wrong with you. And then when Yu-"

"Ku... wabara."

"Urameshi?"

Ah, that stopped him. Except now he sounded more concerned.

"What is it? I can hear you! What?"

"I'm.... thir... thirsty... damn... it..."

That seemed to make him hesitate for a moment. Yusuke was not sure why, but he managed to reach up in the general direction of where Kuwabara's voice had been coming from. He gripped the front of his shirt as tight as he could, the expending of effort allowing Yusuke to open his eyes and glare at him.

"I said... I'm... thir... thir... thirsty." He managed to abate the coughs until he had finished speaking. Before he knew it, he was on his back again. Yusuke was about to swear out Kuwabara, but for the fact the other had actually propped him up so he was not looking just at the ceiling.

"Yeah, yeah, I heard you." If Kuwabara really was smiling at him, Yusuke was going to have to wipe that off his face. He was in a bad mood with this being unable to do what he wanted to do thing. "Oh, Kurama!"

"How is he?" Kurama's voice was quiet as he closed the door.

"He's awake. And you've brought drinks! Are you sure you weren't listening outside the door?"

"Hardly." Kurama smiled though. Yusuke concentrated on the cups instead, narrowing his eyes at the steam coming off the top. Considering this was Kurama...

"I... hate... t... tea."

"It's good for you. Here you go Kuwabara."

"Thanks."

Not that it was the first time Kurama had to help him drink something, but it was still embarrassing. Being unable to hold your own cup was pretty pathetic to Yusuke. And the tea was disgusting. Kurama did not seem to care at all about the state of Yusuke's taste buds as he made him drink all of it.

"Man, this is some pretty good tea Kurama."

Yusuke stuck his tongue out at the back of Kurama's head as the other turned to look over at Kuwabara, who was trying not to grin. "Thank you."

"Maybe enough that I should get going."

Yusuke could feel the atmosphere change with that statement. "Where are... you going?" he questioned, swallowing through the thick taste of bile which was telling him he _really_ did not like that tea.

"After the bad guys, where else?" Kuwabara scoffed, setting down his tea cup mercilessly on the dresser.

"That is not a wise decision, Kuwabara," Kurama shook his head. Yusuke was all ready to agree with him – for whatever reason Kurama thought it was not wise.

"Because of Hiei, I know," Kuwabara retorted. Yusuke shut his eyes tightly. "But we'll have him to worry about no matter what – unless we get Yukina back."

What?

Yukina?

"What?" Kurama's voice was as shocked as Yusuke had ever heard him. Of course, Yusuke was not certain if that was Kurama's voice or his.

"They'll keep setting Hiei on us while they have Yukina!" Kuwabara rephrased what he had already said. "I know they're siblings, okay? And I know I'd do anything to keep Shizuru safe if someone had taken her. And it's Yukina! I can't stand the thought of her in their grubby little hands."

"They have Yukina?" This time, Yusuke knew it was Kurama speaking, because everything was beginning to click. "When did this happen?"

"You didn't know?" Kuwabara sounded as if someone were strangling him. "I thought Hiei would have – I mean..."

They had Yukina. Yusuke felt himself at both ends of the pendulum. Those bastards had taken her again. Did they honestly think they had a chance when they threatened her against them?

But Hiei was doing this for her. He would do anything for her. Yusuke knew that, he accepted that. Which meant he did not want to betray them.

He would return.

Yusuke would make sure of it.

Yusuke stood up, his determination fighting through his fever and everything else as he set his most determined gaze on his two friends.

"Then why're we... sitting here? Let's... kill those assholes and get Yukina and Hiei back."

And they both agreed.

For no one argued with Yusuke when he took that tone.


End file.
